Tekken: Fierce Vendetta
by HoodieMon
Summary: The road to revenge is steep and price one is willing to pay is high. The young lion named Leo Kliesen took it upon herself to take revenge for her lost mother.
1. Chapter 1

**The Fierce Vendetta - Chapter 1  
**

* * *

How long has it been since she last slept, without the nightmares plaguing her dreams? How long has it been since she spoke a full sentence? Leo herself doesn't know the answer to any of these questions. Ever since her solo raid on the G-Corp train, the blonde didn't have an easy time. The former leader of the Tekken Force, Lars, managed to track her down, destroying the files she found on the Devil Gene. In order to spare her the jail time, Lars offered her a spot as the recruit on the Tekken Force.

The blonde was sure that joining Lars' cause would help her get close towards her mother's killer. Revenge was the only thing one her mind, nothing else. Leo was aware of how dangerous it would be, but she never thought it would hit her that hard. Her arguments with Asuka and Steve especially never got through to her. With every passing day on the field, with every passing mission, Leo slowly lost herself to possibly the worst evils on her journey; anger, sorrow and lastly fear.

The soldiers, her supposed "comrades", never saw the young German as one of their own. She was more of a throwaway for them, even for her female squad mates. Most of the squad team seemed like typical high school bullies, at least to Leo. The blonde herself found their behavior repulsive, but ignorable at the same time. She believed that it wouldn't hinder her progress in training, even the ones where teamwork was required.

Most of their antics Leo ignored and didn't speak up against it, thinking they would eventually stop. Especially with Lars having a lot of problems on his plate, Leo thought she should handle it on her own. The people in this force were adults and Leo assumed they wouldn't continue once they realized it didn't get to her at first. She couldn't be more wrong than she thought.  
The women in the squad began to openly mock her capabilities, tripping Leo over on obstacle course during initial laps.

"What's the matter, Kliesen…? Can't get up..?"  
"This isn't a place for kids."

Those mocking words rang inside the blondes' head, which were slowly draining her patience. Her cheeks and nostrils slowly flared up as she got up slowly, dusting herself off. The blonde took a deep breath and managed to calm herself down.  
"Calm down, Leo… Calm down…" Leo repeated to herself, stretching her back with a loud exhale.

Slowly exiting the gym after the long hours of training, Leo sat down on the bench in front of the facility. The sun was close to setting and the sky was painted in a soft mixture of magenta and orange tones. It was quiet and it allowed Leo to fully concentrate on her "studies". She was slowly flipping through her small notebook, which contained some of her notes regarding her training. The cover was brown leather, modestly decorated with golden margins. She got it from Alisa, the pinkette robot who was assigned to Leo as a mission partner from time to time. Leo considered Alisa to be the only friend she had in the force, helping forget about the hard she was getting from the others. Leo soon sighed and reached to her back pack to take out a pen. Its decoration was matching the one from cover of the small notebook. Slowly scribbling some numbers and letters, Leo tried to kill some time. She had an appointment with Steve to help him set up his apartment. Both agreed that Steve will be the one to pick Leo up. The sun went down and the street lights were turned on as one of them was illuminating Leo's bench as she was waiting for the boxer to arrive.

The blonde was interrupted by her cell phone ringing in her pocket. Flipping the phone open, Leo sighed at the number present on the screen. It was Asuka. This conversation wasn't going to be pretty in the slightest.

"Hello?" Leo spoke up in a bothered and uninterested tone while placing the phone on her ear. The response she received from other end of the line was less then pleasant.

"Where the hell are you?!" the brunette yelled, sounding more like a strict mother then a worried roommate. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

Leo distanced the phone as the yelling voice cracked through the speaker, wincing a bit. Asuka was known to be a loud mouth, but this was taken to a whole new level. The blonde placed the phone back to her ear, making a cringing expression while trying to think of a proper answer for the angry brunette.

"I did tell you I would be running late, didn't I…?" the blonde replied with a subtle, agitated growl to her seemingly calm voice. "Is the yelling REALLY necessary?"  
Leo understood Asuka's worry yet sometimes Asuka seemed like she overreacted for no good reason. This conversation was no exception to that, if not the prime example of how the two interacted most of the time.

"Apparently, since you forgot to call again!" the brunette snapped at the blondes answer. "And don't try to excuse yourself from this!"

The blonde rubbed the bridge of her nose with a heavy sigh and placed the notebook with the pen into her back pack. When Leo moved in temporarily, the ground rule Asuka set was that Leo would have to call after her training sessions. Even Alisa reminded Leo of that on several occasions.

"Look…I know I forgot and I am sorry okay..?" Leo sighed as she replied, trying to end the absurd arguing. "I already have an appointment and I don't need the unnecessary stress." Even if the person Leo was waiting for was really late. Before the brunette could continue, Leo flipped the phone closed and dropped a heavy sigh. No matter how rude that was, Leo didn't want to drop her own tantrums on Steve because of one argument.  
Soon after, one could hear hurried running steps from the street as Leo turned to the source of the slightly echoing sound. A familiar figure with slicked back blonde hair and white shirt was getting closer to the Germans location. A faint smile slowly formed on Leos sharp features as the light slowly revealed the figure to be none other than the British boxer, Steve Fox. Upon reaching the location, Steve was trying to catch his breath. What caught Leos attention was the brits clothing that was covered with in a thin layer of flour.

"What happened to you...?" Leo asked while giggling slightly. "You look like a ghost."  
She couldn't help herself to crack a smile as Steve looked like Casper, the ghost from that old TV show. Even his blue eyes were in sheer contrast to his pale look which is illuminated by the street lights. Leo simply admired the eye candy before her.

"Ha ha, very funny..." Steve replied sarcastically as he huffed a bit in frustration. "Sorry I am late... I had a little four legged problem at the apartment…" The boxer felt a bit embarrassed to show up like this in front of Leo. He grumbled under his breath as he dusted himself off, clouds of white dust flying off him as his hands shook the fabric of his attire on impact.

"Right..." Leo shook her head and brushed off the flour from his shoulder, smirking slightly. After dusting off her gloved hand, Leo took the backpack from the bench and pulled out a can of soda, placing the bag on her back afterwards. "I do remember you saying that handling one puppy wouldn't be a problem." she continued in a slightly mocking tone as she handed the can to Steve.

"I said that it wouldn't be a big problem..." the boxer retorted as he took the can and opened it, drinking it up in one gulp. "At least it wasn't at first..."

"Come on, Casper... We have a lot of work on our hands and you need to get yourself cleaned." The blonde lead the boxer through the street, on course towards his apartment. As they were walking, Leo was slightly distracted by the flickering street lights. Her expression was half blank as the images and voices from the recent events. The whispers and snickers that were directed at her never seem to go away, even in pleasant company. As they were walking, Steve couldn't help but to notice the Germans "absence" and that worried him. He never liked the idea of Leo joining Lars' Rebel Force nor did he support it. However, Steve couldn't talk her out of it due to how stubborn Leo was. He never had the courage to speak up against Leo or say no to her like Asuka could. The brit was not a man of unnecessary conflict.

The two arrived at the apartment, encountering an elderly woman who appeared to be the land lady. The woman was wearing a neat dark crimson coat with longer black skirt and her hair neatly pulled into a ponytail. Overall very formal attire. She didn't seem very entertained or happy as she walked towards the two, her gaze fixed at the boxer.  
"Sir Fox, I would advise you to find someone to supervise the… dog while the apartment is vacant.." the woman spoke up then looked at Leo with a cringing face. "And do try to keep the entertainment to a minimum…Is that understood..?"  
"Y-yes… Madam.. I will be more careful in the future.." Steve replied with a nervous smile, trying not to break into a laughter. Her posture and manner of speech amused him for some reason. However, Leo wasn't so intimidated by the woman in front of her, simply returning the same cringing expression to her. The land lady simply lifted her chin up and went upstairs as Steve and Leo simply looked back at her with a somewhat blank expression and then looked at each other in silence.

"Isn't she charming…" Leo finally spoke up in a uninterested tone as she walking up towards the door. She let out a slight huff to blow off some of her blonde fringes off her face.  
"You have no idea…" Steve replied while looking through his pockets to find the keys. He then took them out and unlocked the door, letting Leo in.  
As they both entered the apartment, the Germans eyes widened as she saw the mess in the living room.

"Wow…" she spoke up as her gaze was scanning the scattered, chewed up paper with paw prints on the carpet. A small, cheerful bark could be heard as a white puppy ran towards the two from the kitchen. The pup was happily wagging his tail and jumping in front of them, as he was having a lot fun making the mess in the house.

"Next time I am getting someone to look after you…" The brit dropped a heavy sigh as he picked up the puppy, brushing off all the flour the puppy was covered in.

"An adorable little trouble maker I see…" Leo giggled as she patted the little dogs head "Where did you find him…?"

"I got him from the Rescue shelter… He was malnourished when he was first found. Owners didn't want to look after the little guy and simply left him on the street." The boxer replied as he handed the little fur ball to the blonde. Upon holding the little bundle of joy, the puppy happily licked and nuzzled Leos cheek. The blonde frowned a bit upon hearing the story, knowing full well how it is to be lonely and left out. It was mindboggling to her on how can someone leave such a small creature to fend for itself.

"How about you take a shower and I'll have the little guy cleaned up?" the blonde offered as she placed the puppy down on the floor and took off her jacket.

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry, I don't think this little guy will be that much of a problem." She reassured as she took the plastic tub from the kitchen and filled it up with warm water. The little fur ball followed Leo happily, skipping around her as she walked.

"Okay… Thanks Leo…" Steve smiled as Leo was preparing everything for the puppy's bath. It was refreshing to see Leo be cheerful for once, even if it was for a brief time.

"Don't worry about it…" the blonde smiled back briefly at him, picking up some towels and placing them on the table. Her smiled didn't last long, as Leos expression became neutral.  
"Leo…" Steve spoke up in a concerned voice, walking up to her. "Are sure you are-"

"I am fine, Steve." The blonde cut him off before he could ask anything. " Her tone was more serious, harsh and that scared the boxer to a degree. It prevented him from speaking any further. "Right…Sorry…" He simply sulked and retreated towards the bathroom, taking a few towels from the drawer in the hallway. Seeing Leo like this was gutting. She wasn't the brave adventurer he knew.

"Leo…What happened to you…?"


	2. Chapter 2

** The Fierce Vendetta- Chapter 2**

* * *

_"Nt01…"_

_"My name is not NT01…!"_

_"It is time for your medicine…"_

_"It's Steve!"_

_"I am sorry…I didn't want you to get involved in this…"_

_"Don't leave me alone!"_

* * *

"Emma…" the brit slowly uttered under his breath as he was "gazing" down the bathroom sink, letting the water poor out of the pipe. The visions of his horrific past, the images of needles and figures wearing lab boats never seem to fade away. With his blue optics slowly rising towards the mirror, he dropped a heavy and washed his face. The woman from his past, the only one who cared for him was his best memory from that horrific time. It seems like that best memory came in another form. Leo looked so much like Emma; the blonde hair, piercing yet soft blue eyes and the soft smile.

The first time he and the blonde met would seem like an everyday accident. People bumping into each other was something that happened from time to time. Leo was an adventurous soul, someone who enjoyed to explore everything around her. Not even her silent and calm disposition could hide it. Steve found that very charming and it rubbed off on him very quickly. One would assume that exploring caves wouldn't be anything special or fascinating. Hwoarang and Paul did make jokes on the two spending time together, especially when they would go on a spelunking trip. No matter the case, Steve enjoyed spending the little free time he had with Leo. Everything Steve discovered with Leo, from cave gems to underground structures, Steve couldn't help but to admire all of it. It was like an escape from the reality he and the German had to face every day.

Many people would say how silence gets uncomfortable for them. Leo's silent and soft spoken nature never bothered Steve in the slightest. With most of his friends being very loud and brash, the quiet and calm moments he shared with Leo were something he welcomed and appreciated. As the two spent more time together, Steve and Leo became closer and more trusting of each other. Steve became attracted to the blonde, something he didn't expect to happen. His protective nature was showing through, especially when Leo joined Rebel Force. Steve never saw the blonde as someone who is capable of killing, someone who is innocent and pure of heart to get dragged into a war. The first time he heard the news from her, he couldn't help but to be in shock. However, with all his worries he could never dissuade her or tell her to stop. The boxer bitterly remembered the last time the two had a harsh argument over it.

* * *

_"Reconsider…Ask Lars if you can't be assigned to something else. Leo, you could die if you keep at this."_

_"I am aware that it is dangerous.. I can't change that.."_

_"I've half a mind to go and have a bit of a chat with Lars about this…"_

_"No… Steve, please-"_

_"Please what? I don't know what he is thinking…"_

_"It's not easy for him either…He needs all the help he can possibly get."_

_"He's got manpower enough as it is. You needn't be another potential casualty."_

_"Potential casualty..? I can fend for myself, I am not a child!"_

* * *

That was the only moment both of them almost snapped at each other. He never wanted to yell at her, or insult her capabilities. The fact that Leo might not come back from the rage of war made him anxious and more worried. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Leo, the only person who made him genuinely happy. As the time passed, the young German became silent, the spirit that Steve once knew faded. It gutted him badly to see someone he loved became so distant and cold.

Closing the water in the bathroom sink, he recalled the first kiss the two shared. It was possibly the best and weirdest way for him to win a girls heart, if one can call it that.

* * *

He was returning from the gym, needing to make a stop on the shooting range to get some water. Much to his surprise, Leo was there. She was with her group waiting on her training to start. It was good see a friendly face in such a daunting area, at least to him. What he didn't expect was to see Leo in her uniform. He was weak to his knees, hopelessly smitten with the figure before him. The dark plates covering her torso that accentuated her body in a striking way and the familiar red fabric of her scarf draped in the contrast of red on black had him at a loss for words. The way he was behaving had Leo worried, leading her to believe that he might have had a fever. Steve garnered some inappropriate thoughts, having been so powerfully attracted to someone.

Being worried for Steve's wellbeing, Leo offered herself to escort him back home. The poor boxer could barely keep his thoughts together, even after Leo changed to her regular outfit. After managing to make some coffee for both of them, Steve tried to calm his own inappropriate thoughts. That only led to much more embarrassment, having the brit fall of the chair as Leo tried to measure his temperature with the palm of her hand. The guy was red as a tomato. Leo had him lie down on the sofa to take a rest and that didn't help at all. Steve simply took her hand gently, rubbing his thumb along the blonde's palm. With his eyes blown wide with the desire, he looked deep into her eyes. Without much thought, the boxers hand ghosted over her neck as he pulled her closer and pressed her lips against hers. With the Germans cheeks gaining red hues, it felt like a giant rock fell both off of their hearts. That was at least visible with Leo. After the two broke the kiss, Steve felt embarrassed. He covered his face and sunk into the sofa, thinking Leo was mad at him.

_"I'm so sorry. I just - I don't know what came over me. If you - want to leave, I understand."_

After saying those words, he felt Leo gently embracing him and lowering her head on his torso. Steve was left speechless, trying to figure out what happened.

_"Leo…? You are not-"_

_"No… Stop worrying…"_ Leo cut him off as she gently kissed his lips again. Steve was prone to overreacting and Leo was familiar with that. Steve simply relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her gently to his chest. He felt at ease and it's the only thing that mattered in that moment. That day felt like a dream, a dream that could have gone completely wrong thanks to his impulses.

As he stepped out of the bathroom, a soft giggle and happy barking could be heard from the living room. Wiping his face with the towel around his neck, the sight of Leo smiling and taking care of the little puppy immediately brought a smile to his face. He simply stood there near the sofa and watched as Leo and the little puppy bond. Seeing Leo smiling so brightly over a small creature really was a sight to behold. As Leo dried the little fur ball, the fur was revealed to be brown-white. The puppy was a little husky, having blue eyes just like Leo. The huskies were always a little bit cheery and it was no exception with this one. There was some splashed water on the table around the tub.

"There you go…" the blonde smiled as she dried up the little husky who was happily barking and wagging his tail. He seemed pretty happy when Leo is around. The blonde yawned loudly as she covered her mouth. Her face had a slightly pale complexion and she looked a bit worn out. Steve knew how badly the training would its toll on her, even if she was that strong.

"Come on… You need to get some sleep…" he walked over to her and gently patted her shoulder. "Go to my room and get some sleep, I'll do the cleaning up..."

The blonde waved her hand, took the puppy and gently placed him in a small dog bed near the sofa. "I'll sleep here…" she replied in a raspy voice, covering the puppy with a blanket and patting his head gently. "Leo…" The boxer dropped a heavy sigh shook his head. It was late for yelling and bickering and waking up the neighbors was not the most ideal thing. He then picked her up in a bridal style, with a sly smirk painted on his lips.

"Hey!" Leo flailed her arms, angrily glaring at him. Not only was this unexpected, but it was also embarrassing. "Put me down right now!"

"No can do." The brit replied while chuckling a bit at her reaction. "Bad children need to be punished." He carried her over to his bed room, laying the angry German down on his bed. Leo wasn't happy, not in the slightest. The one thing she hated is being treated like a child.

"I hate you…" she growled a bit as Steve handed her a shirt and pants for her to sleep in. The boxer simply smiled at the blonde and kissed her forehead gently, wanting to calm her down a bit.

"I love you too, love…" he replied as he laid down next to her. As Leo was changing, Steve turned his to the other side, trying not to look. With a short grumble Leo laid down and covered herself in the bed sheets, facing away from the boxer.

Steve turned towards her and gently brushed her cheek gently and kissing it. "Hey…" he spoke up a bit "Come on… Don't be mad… I was just kidding around…" His voice sounded pretty innocent and soft, like he tried to suck up towards her. "I am sorry…"

Leo turned towards him, her angry expression fading away. She couldn't stay mad at him for too long; especially after he said he was sorry in such a tone. She snuggled him close, burying her head in his chest. The boxer fondly smiled as he gently brushed the black of Leo's messy hair. The small, gentle gesture got her slowly close her eyes and fall asleep. Leo didn't get to have decent shut eye and it was evident in the fact that she fell asleep really fast.

"Sleep well…" the boxer murmured softly and hugged the blonde close to make her sleep more comfortable, his fingers gently brushing through Leos blonde mane.

The silence was quickly broken by a high pitched howl coming from the living room. The lovers got startled at the sudden howl.

"Was that…?" the blonde sat up with a worried expression. The puppy she tucked into the bed earlier didn't want to sleep. She could only guess that it missed its mother.

"Yea…" Steve replied "He is always like this when he is alone… I'll bring him here…"

Steve then got up and when to the living room to see the puppy sitting in the small bed. The boxer sighed and picked him up, gently patting him. "Come on…" he whispered softly as he tried to calm the little fur ball. After entering the room again, Steve handed the puppy to Leo and sat down on the edge of the bed. The blonde took him and placed him next to her on the bed, patting his fur and paws gently.

"No need to cry…" she whispered to the little puppy as she wiped the small tear. The puppy laid down and closed its eyes. Steve laid down on the other side, looking with a genuine smile as Leo tended to the little fur ball. She was as gentle and caring as Emma was, like a mother nursing its child. He couldn't help but to smile at the sight before him. The images of him spending his time with Emma came flashing to him. He remembers Emma lulling him to sleep, as he was afraid of the dark as a child.

"You look just like her…" Steve spoke up gently as he looked at Leo's gentle smile, which was strikingly similar to Emma's. The blonde looked up in confusion, not knowing who he was referring to.

"Look like who…?" she asked with a hint of curiosity in her faint voice.

"You look just like Emma…" he replied in a soft voice as he reached out his hand to gently brush her cheek. Upon hearing his response, Leo blushed and smiled nervously while looking away. She didn't know how to respond to that. With her cheeks gaining a red hue, Leo felt Steve press his lips near hers with his hand ghosting over her neck.

"I love your smile…" he spoke up again, brushing Leo's hair a bit. "I just wish I could see it more often…" Given how stressful it has been for her, Leo knew that Steve was looking for her wellbeing. Even if she didn't want to show it, Steve knew her all too well. He knew how stubborn she could be at times, especially in regards to her missions she did for Lars.

"Hey…" the brit lifted up her chin and directed her gaze towards his. "If all of this too much for you… Promise you will tell me… I'll be here for you if you need me…"

Leo couldn't bring herself to say anything. She simply nodded with a sorrowful smile directed towards the man. She felt like she was using him and that ate her up. It was evident in her pained expression.

"Don't worry about me…" he assured her with a soft voice, his hand brushing her cheek gently. "Just promise me you will stay alive… It would be awfully empty without you…"

The last words stung badly, not just to Leo but also to Steve who tried to his best to be positive about it. He never doubted Leo as a fighter nor did he believe that she couldn't overcome the obstacles on her difficult road. While he felt terrible for doubting her, Steve still feared for the blonde's life. What brought him back to his senses was the unexpected and gentle kiss from Leo.

"I will…" she spoke up in a shaky tone, with a smile on her face. "Promise…"

"Good…" Steve murmured softly as he laid down next to the puppy, careful not to lay down on it. The little fur ball was sleeping like a log as Leo softly brushed its soft fur.

"Do you have a name for him…?" she asked, looking towards the brit with a small smile.

"I was thinking of naming him Milo…" he replied while patting the husky. "What do you think?"

"It's a good fit…" the blonde giggled silently, trying not to wake the dog up. "I like it…" Leo gently scooped up the little bundle of joy and held it close to make more space for Steve to sleep on the bed. The blonde yawned a slowly closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly. Steve got close to Leo and snuggled her carefully.

"Good night…" he whispered softly and kissed Leo's forehead, falling asleep shortly after.

* * *

FINALLY DONE! Sorry if this took so long to write. I was suffering a terrible writer's block. This chapter mainly focuses on establishing Steve's and Leo's relationship and I hope I did okay on it. Next chapter will come soon!


	3. Chapter 3

"Just relax… You can do it.."

The blonde was the first one to arrive on the training grounds, preparing herself for the todays training session. Adorning her black and red uniform, Leo took a deep breath before doing warm up exercises. The area was still empty and there was comfortable silence surrounding Leo. It helped her relax for the stressful day that was to come.

Today's assignment she received was to meet up with the squad she was placed in for training. The captain that was in charge of the squad had experience in training with cadets and newcomers like Leo. The reputation she had was infamous due to her strict nature and tendency to break into angry fits if something turn out as she planned.

Soon the silence was broken by the chatter that grew louder as the source of the sound approached. The chatter came from the three women who prepared themselves for the upcoming session. The first woman was medium height; brown hair tied into a ponytail and had blue eyes. The second was the tallest, having dark skin and contrasting white hair. The third was the shortest, having short black hair with long front locks framing her fair and pale face. Her eyes were covered with a silk cloth that is tied like a headband.

"Ugh… I can't wait for this day to be over.." the brunette yawned as she prepared for the warm up, stretching her arms.

"You haven't even arrived yet and you are already complaining…" the taller woman scoffed as she glared back at the brunette. "If you don't want to be here, just leave."

"And have the commander get my case again? No thank you." the brunette retorted and turned around. Her sights were set on Leo, who was already doing warm up laps. She didn't pay attention to the girls, focusing on her training only.

"Hey…" the brunette spoke up to her companions. "Look who showed up."

They both turned towards the directed the brunette was pointing to, white haired woman looking at Leo with minimal interest.

"Nothing special…" she spoke up as she went back into the locker room. The brunette turned towards the tall woman then turned her glance back at Leo.

"I heard that she is Emma Kliesens daughter." the blindfolded girl spoke up, sitting down with her legs crossed. The brunette turned her head towards her in subtle curiosity. "There are also rumors that she raided a G-Corp train on her own. Even so far to steal some of the data."

"No kidding?" the brunettes eyes widened while replying in a sarcastic manner

"Like I haven't heard that before."

"Her energy is so wild and driven, or better yet, motivated by anger." the girl spoke up again with a slow sigh afterwards.

"Spare me." the brunet retorted quickly as Leo was approaching the meeting point of the group. She sat on a bench not too far from them. "I honestly couldn't care less of some brat who is in detention for bad behavior."

"Aren't you being a little too judgmental? Besides you are here for the same reasons."

"I am just saying that we don't need another rookie that will be slowing us down. I don't plan to be a babysitter."

As their conversation stopped, a tall figure entered the room. The figure was completely armored in black armor with red stripes, similar to the rest of the squad. The figure showed to be a woman with a rather muscular stature. Her eyes were glistening in a emerald hue. The hair thrown to the left side in a punkish fashion with the right side completely shaved.

"Well, well. We are not running late this time, aren't we Alice?" she spoke up while looking at the brunette, who narrowed her eyes at the woman's blunt remark. The woman turned her gaze to Leo who stood up as the woman arrived. She looked at Leo with sheer interest, towering over the young blonde.

"You are the little trouble maker I heard so much about." she said "What's your name, kid?"

"Leo Kliesen." the blonde replied as she kept her composure, her voice being cold and firm.

"Kliesen… You are Emma's kid." the woman uttered as she scanned Leo, looking up and down. "There is a lot of buzz about you. Let's see if you live up to that reputation, as a soldier that is."

"I will… You can count on it." Leo responded in a low growl, having the woman before her raise an eyebrow in sheer curiosity. The flare and confidence Leo gave off on the surface was intriguing to her, albeit seeming a little fake.

"Lars told me of what got you here and I have to ask… Do you really think you have what it takes to kill Kazuya Mishima?"

The other girls turned towards Leo, expecting an answer from the newcomer. The question itself shook the blonde a bit, even if she strived not to show it.

"Yes." Leo finally answered, causing the brunette in the back to burst into laughter. The blonde rolled her eyes on the obnoxious laughter cause that was coming from her. She had a goal to reach and keeping a cool head was vital. However, she could feel the seeping anger slowly growing, like it is gonna burst out soon.

"Wait, wait." the brunette finally started talking after calming down. "You, a rookie, really think that you can kill Kazuya Mishima..? Sorry to burst your bubble, kiddo, but that ain't happening. You shouldn't even be here."

Leo simply kept quiet, gripping her fist. The voice in her head simply screamed to her to fight back. She was visibly shaken by the snarky comments thrown by her "comrade".

"Ambitious just like her too..." Renee thought as she observed the young blonde. Her look then turned towards the rest of the group, having the same analyzing look.

"We have been given an assignment; it will take place in a few days." Renee spoke up after a brief moment of silence. "There is a Mishima Zaibatsu outpost that is responsible for transporting equipment for research."

"Great; another retrieval mission. Let me guess, we have to sneak in order to do it." Alice spoke in a disinterested, sarcastic tone.

"Yes, however the one doing the sneaking will be our newcomer here." Renee replied "We have a talent on our hands that could be useful."

"I find that hard to believe.." Alice retorted while spitting to the ground at the side. She flinched after feeling a hand harshly smacking the back of her head. Alice widened her eyes upon seeing that the blind-folded girl smacked her like that.

"Seriously..?" she growled while narrowing her eyes.

"Quit your bullshiting..." the girl replied in a lower voice, then spoke up towards Renee "Please continue, captain."

"Thank you, Yin. As I said, Leo will be the one to sneak in and get the schematics and other essential data on the main computer." Renee continued, looking at Leo. "Think you can handle it, kid?"

Leo nodded silently, keeping silent. Renee smiled at her quiet reply, coming up towards her once more.

"Given that you are that confident, you might as well show me what you can do."

Her green eyes pointed at an obstacle course that consisted of a climbing wall, rope climbing and what seemed to be a passage with traps. Leo was closely examining the course, picturing the path and smallest details. It seemed like the ordinary course, but leo knew Renee nor any of the squad mates wouldn't make it easy for her. The only way to survive in this force was to play by their hard and cold rules.

"How about this..." Alice approached Leo, tapping her shoulder "We are gonna see who has the best time on the course."

"Really..? A competition..?" Leo groans in frustration as she flicked of Alice's arm of her shoulder. The brunette giggled and ruffled Leos blonde mane, messing it up on purpose.

"Yea, you silly. If you want to be one of us, you have to play by our rules."

"Riveting..." The blonde sighed as she was correcting her scattered hair locks.

"Let me guess, you and I will race. Then if you win you continue to boast about your nonexistent skills."

"Well.. Ye- Wait, what?" Alice's eyes widened at the sudden counter from the blonde. The retort also caught Renee's attention, having to bring a smile to her face.

"And if I win, you will run to your mom, crying about having your ass kicked by a rookie. Am I right?" Leo continued, keeping the firm tone. Alice simply stood in shock at her words, seeing that Leo doesn't break that easily.

The brunette simply shook her head and got closer to Leo, eyes squinted in frustration.

"We will see who is the best around here, you little brat!" she yelled and gestured the blonde to position herself at the starting line. As Leo prepared for the race, another figure entered the scene.

"My my... This will be interesting." a female voice spoke up as the others turned to see another brunette. She looked similar to Renee, her hair also tied up in a neat ponytail with her bangs shifted to left side.

"I hope I am not intruding. I was just hoping to see our new star of the show." She walked over to the two contenders, looking at Leo. The blonde kept her cold demeanor, yet she did find the woman to be really strange. She seemed a lot nicer compared to most of the people who shunned her and it left her kind of skeptic.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the gym?" Renee turned towards the younger woman, placing her arms across her chest.

"Yea, but I wanted to see the new kid." the girl replied as she was looking at the blonde. "Name is Alexis."

Leo simply kept silent as Alexis offered a handshake, slowly lifting her hand. Alice made an annoyed expression and knocked the hand away.

"You'll have time for that later." she spoke up "Let's get the race done with, so that I can whoop your ass, Kliesen."

Leo shrugged and prepared for the course, however was pushed aside by Alice.

"Ladies first." she growled and looked at Renee, who prepared the stopwatch. With both of them on the starting line, Alice sprinted forward before Renee could give the start signal. Leo immediately followed up after the brunette, managing to keep up with her fast paced sprinting.

As Alice and Leo got to a tall wall, the brunette in desperation sprang forwards and latched herself on the rocks that were used for climbing.

"Cya later!" Alice yelled off sarcastically and continued to climb up the wall.

Leo simply watched as the brunette was slowly climbing the wall. Her gaze was directed to the top, as she noticed a steel pipe above the top of the wall.

Alexis and Renee were intently watching with a puzzled look. The blonde simply stood there, not even trying to catch up to the Alice.

Leo then smirked and launched her grappling hook on the steel pipe, retracting it afterwards to help her climb faster than Alice towards the top. As Leo was reaching the brunette, she gently tapped her shoulder with a small smirk.

"What?!" Alice's face grew pale in a shocked expression gracing her features. After the initial shock, she tries to climb faster and accidentally slips, falling with a loud swat against the mattress.

"Ouch…" Leo cringed as she witnessed the accident from the top, along with the rest of the group who were standing aside.

Alexis walked over to the brunette who was lying on the mattress, not moving at all.

"Hey, sis? You ok-"

"I am fine!" Alice immediately stood up, her face flaring up and her left eye twitching. She ran up to the platform ladders and climbed up to the blonde.

"We are not done yet!" she yelled at her and ran towards the finish line, with Leo following after her.

"Good lord, Ali…" Alexis sighed as she saw her sibling lose her mind over some obstacle course. She then looked at Renee who was standing next to the white haired woman and Yin.

"You are not gonna do anything about this?" she asked in a serious tone, narrowing her eyes a bit.

"Relax, Lexi." Renee responded, having a calm demeanor. "The rookie has it all under control."

"If you say so… and please stop calling me that."

Leo and Alice reached the tire track segment, both struggling to get the advantage over each other. The blondes' legs were slowly giving up with Alice gaining more and more pace. Noticing this, Alice smirked and in the rush picked some dirt, throwing in the blondes face.

With the dust getting in her eyes, Leo groaned in pain as she tried to wipe out the dust.

"That's cheating!" Alexis yelled, looking at Renee who didn't react to the said deed.

"Scheize!" she cussed. The burning was so bad that she couldn't open her eyes.

"Come on…" Leo shook her head and took a deep breath, not willing to be beaten by a loud mouth. She picked up the pace and sprinted like mad. The two soldiers, being at each other's heels, were approaching the finish line.

The second before approaching the finish line, both of them slid towards it and lifted a huge gust of dust. Renee, Alexis and the other two women waited anxiously for dust to clear. Alexis herself clenched her fists, hoping that the tricks Alice used didn't assure her the victory.

As the dust cleared two figures were lying down on the ground next to each other. Alice lifted her head and checked if she passed the finish line first. Her face turned from a victorious grin to an angry expression.

Leo managed to reach the finish line with her foot, just an inch more than the brunette.

"Holy shit!" Alexis jumped out of happiness and cheered like a schoolgirl. "She won by a landslide!" Renee grinned, seemingly impressed by the blondes capabilities.

"Fuck!" Alice yelled as she smacked the ground in an angry fit. The blonde got up and dusted herself. The blonde got up and dusted herself. She simply looked down at the screaming brunette and walked away towards the spectators.

"Well I'll be damned.." the white-haired woman's eyes widened in surprise as she muttered to herself.

"You changed your mind, Chiamaka?" Yin smirked a bit, hearing the subtle muttering.

"If she manages to keep it up, I might be convinced." Chimaka quickly retorted, keeping her calm image. "This is just beginner's luck."

Alice hopped over to the blonde, a big grin gracing her features. Leo stood neutral and rubbed her eyes a bit, getting rid of the remaining dust.

"That was amazing!" she giggled and patted her head. Renee walked over to the blonde, clapping slowly.

"Not bad blondie, not bad." She spoke up, having a satisfied grin. "You made a good first impression. There is some talent there."

Leo dropped a heavy sigh and ruffled her blonde mane for a bit. Even if this was just an obstacle course, the blonde felt like the life was drained out of her.

"Take a little breather and join us a bit later." Renee said, seeing how worn our Leo was. "I need everyone to be on full strength. No questions asked."

Alice's eyes narrowed as she looked up to the blonde in sheer anger. To be so humiliated and beaten by a mere rookie was a thought so wretched and vile to the brunette that the anger simply took over her senses and reasoning.

"I will not let it slide…"

Leo took the advice and went bathroom and refresh herself for a bit. Opening the water tap and taking off her gloves, the blonde washed her face with a splash of cold water. The sound of the water going down the drain was resonating the bathroom walls.

Leo took a deep breath as she lowered her head, trying to relax before the next training session. As she looked up, a figure that was in the mirrors surface startled her.

It was Alice. Her stare was dark and menacing, as if she was preparing to kill someone.

"Ali-" before Leo could turn around, Alice slammed Leos head against the mirror repeatedly with loud crashing. The mirror was cracking with pieces falling down, having stains of blood on them. Alice then tossed the defenseless blonde on the ground, with a small pool blood forming from her head.

"Think you are the big shot huh?" Alice growled, starting to kick Leo square in the gut. "Look at you now. Look at you! So weak and pathetic! I'll teach you to respect you superiors!"

Alice was panting after stopping her rampant kicks. A twisted smile formed on her face as she was looking at Leo, who was lifelessly lying on the ground. Alice was proud of her masterpiece, thinking she got rid of her competitor for good.

"Hope you have learned your lesson, you little brat..." she giggled and left the bathroom, paying no heed if someone found Leo in that state while closing the door behind her. They wont know the real culprit anyway.

Faint footsteps were heard as Alice was leaving the scene. A familiar smaller frame of a pink haired girl was walking towards the bathroom.

"Leo-san..?" she called out "Are you there?"

When she reached the bathroom, Alisa slowly took the doorknob and opened the door. The horrific, bloody scene left the pinkette in shock as she found Leo lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood.

"Leo-san!" Alisa knelt next to Leo and sat her up, checking if she was still alive. The blood from the wound in Leo's forehead was sliding down her face.

"Can you hear me?! Leo-san!" Alisa panicked as she struggled to get a response out of the blonde.

Leo slowly opened her eyes to see the pinkette kneeling next to her. She felt extremely dizzy and weak, trying to figure out what happened to her.

"A...li...sa..?" she barely managed to utter her friends name. This was a sign of relief for Alisa.

"Thank goodness! Hang in there! I'll go get help!"

Alisa ran off, heading to Lars and Renee in a panicking fit with her voice echoing in the hallway.

* * *

With a small passage of time, Leo was placed in the infirmary. The nurse was carefully patching up Leos wound as Renee and Lars where there to insure Leo didn't run off.

"There we go..." The nurse placed the bandage on Leos forehead and tied it up like a headband. After finishing up she turned towards the two commanders.

"She will be fine. However, the impact left a large scar on her forehead."

"Thank you." Lars thanked the nurse and she walked out of the room. The sweed and the brunette turned their attention to Leo who was sitting on the bed, completely silent.

"Do you feel any better?" Lars asked while sitting on a chair in front of her, hoping to get some answers.

Leo silently nodded, lifting her head.

"Do you remember who did this to you...?"

The blonde shook her head slowly. "I just remember me being in the bathroom and then... everything went black..."

Lars sighed and patted Leos shoulder. "Are you sure..? Can you remember at least a little detail?"

The blonde held her head in frustration, as she tried her best to remember the incident. The images running through her head were fuzzy.

"Leo, look at me." he shakes her for a bit. "Try to remember, at least something."

Rolling her eyes on how he is handling the situation, Renee tapped Lars' shoulder and gestured him to come to the corner. As he stood up, he walked over to the brunette, who didn't look very happy.

"Why don't you give the girl some room to breathe?" she asked in a coarse tone, her eyes narrowing at the captain.

"We need to know who did this in order to help her."

"How would you feel if someone banged your fucking head against the mirror multiple times? Its a shock to the system that needs time to subside." Renee growled and raised up her voice a bit.

Lars looked at Leo with an anxious expression. She was holding her forehead because of the stinging pain that came along with her scar. He dropped a heavy sigh and glanced at Renee again, who crossed her arms across her chest.

"What do you propose?"

"Let me talk to her. I am not willing to lose a good potential soldier just because of some bullies and a "captain" who doesn't know how to handle one incident." she said firmly and walked towards Leo, who was lying on the hospital bed, holding her forehead. That sentence stung Lars, as he tried his best to keep a cool head.

As Lars watched from a small distance, Renee gently tapped Leo to get her attention. The blonde slowly sat up, wincing from pain and dizziness.

"Mind if I talk to you for a moment?" Renee asked as she sat down next to the blonde, having a small smile on her face. Leo simply nodded still remaining silent, anxiously waiting for the squad leader to get the conversation going.

The eerie silence was broken as Renee started to speak up in a relaxed tone.

"Never mind asking who did this to you. Let me rephrase the captains question. Are you afraid of the one who did this to you..?"

The question left the blonde frozen for a moment, her mind tried to process the images from before the incident.

"Excuse me..?" the blonde finally spoke up, her face matching the puzzled tone of her voice. Renee kept silent, letting Leo process the question for herself. She closely watched the blonde who scratched her head in confusion.

Leo slowly remembered the person she saw in the reflection of the mirror, the grim look of the person who sent her to the hospital bed. The images of Alices anger fit on the course started to match to the incident.

"Well..?"

"I.. I am not scared." Leo finally spoke up look at Renee with the same determined look she had before the incident.

Renee saw Leos hand shake a bit as she was speaking. She was definetely startled by the recent event, trying her best not to show it.

"I see." she spoke softly "Given that you are new to the program, I will give you a set of training exercises to have you catch up with others."

"Haven't I beaten the course?"

"You have, but that is only a small part of what you need to learn." Renee replied, gently ruffling the blondes mane. "You told me you have the stuff necessary for beating Kazuya."

Lars anxiously listened to the conversation, placing his palm on his face. He wanted to jump in between them and drag Renee away.

"Let's set up a nice challenge for you." Renee propositioned "If you pass my five challenges, I'll know if you ready to take on Kazuya."

"You've gotta be kidding me right..?" Leo narrowed her eyes, watching Renee with a disinterested look on her face.

"I am serious. If you want to avenge your mother, you have to prove yourself. Not just to me, but everyone else here."

"I don't have time for this.." Leo growled and got up from the bed, walking away. Renee raised an eyebrow on her reaction.

"So... You are scared." The brunette taunted the blonde, who tried her best to block out the words that are directed to her. Leo simply walked out the infirmary towards the lockers.

"Leo!" Lars tried to go after her before being pulled by Renee,

"Let her go." she said, having no qualms of the blonde leaving the room. "She had enough trouble for today as it is."

Lars agitatedly shook his head and sat down while glaring at the brunette.

"Oh please… Don't give me that look." Renee retorted "Your way of dealing with someone like Leo involves yelling."

Lars sighed to the answer, exiting the infirmary. He saw Leo sitting on the bench in front of the infirmary along with Alisa. The two of them were sharing somewhat light conversation.

"Kliesen." He called out the blonde while walking over to the two. Both Alisa and Leo stood up, with Leo holding on to the pinkette's shoulder.

"Captain.." Alisa spoke up, having a tad worried expression. Lars examined the blonde, raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms across his broad chest. Leo kept quiet, her eyes glaring at her commanding officer.

"Alisa, make sure Leo gets home safely." He commanded, turning his gaze towards the pinkette.

"I am fi-" Leo tried to speak up but was cut off but a sharp pain in her forehead.

"She will make sure you recover properly and let me know if you try to do something stupid." Lars continued with a strict tone.

"I will make sure Leo's recovery runs smoothly." Alisa assured their commander. Leo held her forehead, letting Alisa sort things out with Lars.

"Come on, Leo-san." The pinkette took Leos bag and gave her a shoulder to lean on while they were walking.

"She will be a handful…" Lars sighed and returned to the facility.

As Leo and Alisa were walking down the park, the blonde was quiet. She was still trying to process what happened today, with her gaze being empty and distant. Alisa looked at Leo, being worried about her friend's condition.

"Leo-san?" she spoke up breaking all the silence. "Are you okay..?"

Leo stopped for a bit and took a deep breath, looking up at Alisa with a forced half smile.

"Don't worry about me.." she spoke up in a gentle tone "I just need to lie down for a bit."

Alisa tilted her head and wondered what she could do to make the blonde feel better. As the gears in her head turned, her eyes lit up and Alisa clapped her hands in joy.

"I will make some ramen for you!" she squeaked with her eyes lit up. "We can even have some tea!"

Leos features were graced by a genuine smile, the childish happiness Alisa beamed with at that moment made the day a lot brighter.

"I could use some tea after a crazy day like this." Leo admitted and stretched herself a bit.

Their attention was taken by a sudden sound of a little girl crying. It was accompanied by a voice that was familiar to both Leo and Alisa.

"What was that?" Leo spoke up and walked over to the source of the sound with Alisa following her.

"Give it back!"

"Finders keepers, missy!"

Leo's eyes narrowed as she saw Alice bullying a little girl, taking a lunch box from her. As Alice slapped the girl, without any thinking she walked over to the woman with a dark expression on her face.

"Leave the girl alone, Alice." She spoke up, much to Alices surprise. The little girl turned towards Leo, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Kliesen, what a surprise!" the brunette giggled and walked up to the blonde. "Dig the new bandages. They look good on you."

Alisa watched anxiously as she ran over to the little girl and distanced her from Alice. The girl clung on to Alisa, observing the standoff.

"Give the girl back her lunch box." Leo growled at the brunette who,a fter a few seconds of silence, bursted into laughter.

"Or you'll do-" Alice was cut off by Leo dealing a sharp blow to her ribcage with her palm, having the brunette fall down. Alice curled up, whimpering and struggling to deal with the pain. Alisa and the girl next to her cringed at the blow delivered by the blonde. Leo simply picked up the lunch box, looking down at the brunette.

"Next time I catch you harming anyone, I will make sure you have your tombstone here. Now... BEAT IT!"

The booming voice of the blonde sent shivers down Alice's spine, causing her to flee while tripping over her own feet. Leo then turned to the girl and knelt down to her, offer the lunch box that was stolen from her.

"Thank you…" the little girl bowed "But, the mean lady threw away the sandwich that was for my mom… Mom will be angry with me.."

Leo took the bag and opened it, taking out her own sandwich.

"Now she won't be.." Leo smiled and gave the lunch to the little girl. Alisa simply watched with a smile, being happy that all the bad events don't make Leo blind to the needs of the little school girl.

The girl smiled and placed the sandwich in the lunch box, happily hugging Leo.

"Thank you!" she said and ran off in a hurry. Alisa and Leo waved back to her and continued on their own way. Leo winced again as she felt the sharp pain again.

"You shouldn't have pushed yourself so much." Alisa said as she gave Leo some support on her shoulders.

"Yea…That is painfully obvious…" Leo replied, gritting her teeth a bit.

"Its also painfully obvious that you need to sleep. Let's go." Alisa retorted and helped Leo walk towards the apartment.

* * *

Running away from the scene, Alice hid herself in a dark alley. She sat near a container, still shivering from the encounter. Her teeth chattering and body shivering, theimage of her nemesis haunting her mind.

_"I'll... I'll...I'll kill you."_


End file.
